Food fryer

ABSTRACT

A food fryer allowing a fried food tank to be safely and efficiently cleaned, wherein an opening part ( 5   a ) is formed in the side upper part of an oil storage tank ( 5 ) so that an upper end part ( 5   c ) covers a lower end part ( 5   b ) a cock ( 5   d ) is installed at the bottom part of the tank, the opening part ( 5   a ) is positioned near a boundary between an oil tank area ( 1 ) and a water tank area ( 2 ), a cover part is not provided for the opening part, after a food frying operation is completed, first oil in the oil tank area ( 1 ) is stored in the oil storage tank ( 5 ) through the opening part ( 5   a ) by the opening and closing operation of the cock ( 5   d ) and then a cock ( 11 ) is opened to drain the oil from those portions other than the oil storage tank of the fried food tank (B), and the tank is cleaned, and when the next frying operation is started, the oil in the oil storage tank ( 5 ) is moved to the oil tank area ( 1 ) due to a difference in gravity between the oil and water by merely feeding the water into the fried food tank (B).

TECHNOLOGY FIELD (FIELD OF THE INVENTION)

This invention relates to a food fryer having a frying food tank whichcomprises a water layer area (a water tank area) and an oil layer area(an oil tank area) there on, in which bits of fried batter are comingdown to the water layer area through the oil layer area, especiallyhaving an oil storage tank formed at a predetermined position of thewater layer area.

BACKGROUND ART (BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION)

FIG. 7 shows an external view structure of a conventional food fryer,and FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of an oil layer area and a water layerarea in the conventional food fryer:

-   -   1 is the oil layer area for storing food frying oil; 2 is the        water layer area; 3 is a heat source such as a heating burner; 4        is an air cooling tube formed by a means such as welding on the        outer wall of the oil layer area 1; 10 is bits of fried batter;        11 is a water discharge cock; 12 is a net; 14 is an oil        discharge cock; 15 is an adjusting wheel or a roller for        adjusting a balance of the food fryer on a floor surface; 16 is        an air outlet; 17 is a thermostat for controlling the heat        source 3.

Now, oil and water in the food fryer are respectively separated into theoil layer area 1 and the water layer area 2 due to the difference inspecific gravity thereof, where the oil is heated by the heat source 3to fry meat, fish, vegetables, etc.

The cooling means such as the air cooling tube 4 provided below the heatsource 3 insulates thermal conduction caused through the heated oil at ahigh temperature and by bits of fried batter settled down in the waterduring frying work so as to control oxidation of the oil and an increaseof the water temperature, furthermore to avoid steam bubbles on the oilsurface, which may bring difficulties in frying operation.

According to the conventional food fryer as described above, thetemperature of the oil therein is usually heated up about 200 □ duringthe frying operation. And we must hence cool down the oil prior tocleaning the food fryer after the frying work. Furthermore, it isnecessary to store the oil in a separate container and then to put itback to the food fryer, if the same oil is to be used repeatedly. Inthis way, it is not easy to handle the conventional food fryer.

In order to solve the problem of displacing the oil at this food fryercleaning as described above, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,266 the inventor ofthis application disclosed a food fryer having an oil storage tankprovided with each cock at its upper position and its lower position.

A preparation step in the above U.S. Patent for cleaning the oil layerarea and the water layer area out the oil storage tank of the food fryeris explained hereafter as one example. It is optional whether water isto be put into the oil storage tank prior to frying anything or not: inthis example the oil storage tank of the food fryer is filled with waterby user's operation of closing the lower cock and simultaneously openingthe upper cock, and closing the upper cock thereafter.

The preparation steps for cleaning are as follows.

-   -   (1) first, opening the lower cock of the oil storage tank to        discharge water therein so as to being empty the tank and then        closing the lower cock,    -   (2) second, opening the upper cock of the oil storage tank to        fully move oil in the oil layer area to this tank, thereafter        closing the upper cock,    -   (3) finally, opening a water discharge cock formed at the lowest        end of the water layer area to drain water in the water layer        area out.

The food fryer after this preparation is put in steady state: the oilstorage tank contains the oil, with both the upper cock and the lowercock closed; the oil layer area and the water layer area except the oilstorage tank are in empty and these areas are in space coupled tooutside of the food fryer through the water discharge cock; therebycapable of cleaning both the layers outside the oil storage tank.

After the layers are cleaned, the water discharge cock is to be closedand the upper cock of the oil storage tank is to be opened, where theoil in the oil storage would flow out by merely pouring water into thefood fryer due to a difference in gravity between oil and water. Thisstate is just ready for another food frying work.

The food fryer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,266 is good in use forimproving the efficiency of the food frying operation.

And this food fryer has room for further improvement in product cost,assembling labor and handling performance of it because the oil storagetank comprises two cocks, the upper cock and the lower clock.

The object according to the invention is to reduce the cost and thelabor for making the food fryer, and to improve frying and cleaning workby using an oil storage tank with an opening instead of the conventionalupper cock, where an upper part of the opening is over its lower partand a lower cock of the oil storage tank is formed same as conventional.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION (SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION)

The food fryer of this invention has the oil storage tank provided withthe opening for inflow and outflow of the oil, and with the lower cockfor draining out water in the storage tank and filling it with used-oilat the previous frying work, the upper part of which opening overhangsits lower part.

The oil storage tank may be made in any shape such as a cylinder-like, acubic-like, a cube-like, a sphere-like or a rugby ball-like (an ellipsein section) of vertically or horizontally long. The inside of the oilstorage tank is always coupled to inner space of the frying food tankthrough the opening. When the lower cock of the oil storage tank isopened, the inside of the oil storage tank is also coupled to theoutside of the fryer.

The opening may be formed on any upper place of the oil storage tank,preferably on the upper side wall.

In the food fryer according to the invention, when the lower cock of theoil storage tank is opened after having fried for example meat, fish orvegetables, the water in the oil storage is out drained through thelower cock, following which the oil heated at a high temperature flowsinto the oil storage tank from the oil layer area through the opening.After a certain time, closing the lower cock allows the oil storage tankto be filled with the used oil. And the water discharge cock of thewater layer area is opened.

In this situation, cleaning work for inside of the food fryer, which isthe oil layer area and the water layer area outside the oil storagetank, can commence efficiently, safely and immediately without timeelapse for cooling of the used oil.

After cleaning up the food fryer and closing the water discharge cock ofthe water layer area, water is newly poured into the food fryer. Thewater increases in the water layer area of the food fryer and eventuallyflows into the oil storage tank from its opening, and thereby the oil inthe oil storage tank accordingly moves up to the oil layer area due tothe difference in gravity between the oil and the water. In this way,the oil is put back to the oil layer area with simple operation and canbe used repeatedly over and over.

Since the upper part of the opening overhangs its lower part, cleaningfluid and so on little comes into the oil storage tank in which the usedoil is stored, while one is at cleaning work.

And having the opening without any cock at the upper position of the oilstorage tank, this invention is effective in that number of components,assembling work thereof and factory expenses of the food fryer arerespectively reduced, and in that the cleaning work next to the fryingwork in the food fryer is easy to be done.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a stage in usual frying operation of a food fryer having acylindrical oil storage tank.

FIG. 2 shows a stage of cleaning preparation in which the oil storagetank is filled with used oil of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a stage of putting water into the food fryer after cleaningout area of the oil storage tank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a food fryer having a cylindrical oil storage tank otherthan that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a compact food fryer for household use.

FIG. 6 shows another food fryer having a rectangular parallelepiped oilstorage tank.

FIG. 7 shows an external view of the conventional food fryer.

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of the oil layer area and the water layerarea in the conventional food fryer of FIG. 7.

BEST MODE OF EMBODIMENTS ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION (DESCRIPTION OFSPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS)

The invention is explained more in detail with reference to the attachedfigures from FIG. 1 to FIG. 6.

In these figures:

-   A is a food fryer having a cylindrical oil storage tank with    circular sectional view;-   B is a frying food tank of the food fryer A;-   C is another food fryer having a cylindrical oil storage tank with    ellipsoid sectional view;-   D is a frying food tank of the food fryer C;-   E is another food fryer for household use;-   F is a frying food tank of the food fryer E;-   G is the other food fryer having a rectangular parallelepiped oil    storage tank;-   H is a frying food tank of the food fryer G;-   1 is an oil layer area;-   2 is a water layer area;-   3 is a heat source (heat pipe), 3′ is an electric heater as a heat    source;-   4 is an air cooling tube;-   5 is a cylindrical oil storage tank, 5 a is an opening formed on the    upper side wall of the oil storage tank, 5 b is a lower end of the    opening, 5 c is an upper end (of the opening) extended to outer    position than the lower end 5 b to overhang it, 5 d is a (lower)    cock provided at the low end position of the oil storage tank;-   6 is a rectangular parallelepiped oil storage tank, 6 b is a lower    end of the opening, 6 c is an upper end (of the opening) extended to    outer position than the lower end 6 b to overhang it, 6 d is a    (lower) cock provided at the low end position of the oil storage    tank;-   10 is a bit of fried batter;-   11 is a water discharge cock; and-   12 is a net.

Any kind of energy may be used for the heat source 3 such aselectricity, gas and so on.

As shown in FIG. 1, the food fryer A has the cylindrical oil storagetank 5, where the opening 5 a is formed at the upper side wall thereofso that oil in the oil layer area 1 moves through the opening 5 a to bestored therein, if required.

The opening 5 a is arranged around a boundary between the water layerarea 2 and the oil layer area 1, and formed in a shape that the upperend 5 c is extended outside of the oil storage tank 5 than the lower end5 b so as to cover this end 5 b.

At ordinary use state, water is in lower part below the opening 5 a andoil is in upper part above the opening 5 a.

Procedure for storing the oil of the oil layer area 1 into the oilstorage tank 5 after finishing food frying work is as follows:

-   First, by opening the cock 5 d, one drains the water in the oil    storage tank 5 out and pours the used oil in the oil layer area 1    into the oil storage tank 5 through the opening 5 a; and-   Next, one closes the cock 5 d at timing that the water in the oil    storage tank 5 has been drained out and the oil in the oil layer    area 1 has flowed into the oil storage tank 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, by opening the water discharge cock 11 next to theprocedure of fully putting the oil into the oil storage tank 5, thewater in the water layer area 2 is also drained out and the frying foodtank B becomes empty as a result, except for the oil storage tank 5, andthereby cleaning work inside the frying food tank B may be proceededunder a safety condition.

As described above, the upper end 5 c of the opening 5 is extended outof the opening 5 a so as to over the lower end 5 b and is formed at theside wall, not top wall, of the oil storage tank 5, and hence cleaningwater and so on for the cleaning scarcely pours into the oil storagetank 5 during the cleaning work.

When the cleaning for the food frying tank B is finished and the waterdischarge cock 11 is again closed, merely pouring water into the fryingfood tank B allows the oil in the oil storage tank 5 to return to theoil layer area 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the water pouring goes on and the watereventually comes over the lower end 5 b of the opening 5 a, the waterstarts to flow into the oil storage tank 5, following which the oilstored in the oil storage tank 5 is to be moved up to the oil layer area1 through the opening 5 a due to the difference in specific gravitybetween oil and water.

Meanwhile, the oil in the oil storage tank 5 may be taken to outer spaceof the feed fryer by opening the cock 5 d.

In the food fryer C of FIG. 4, its oil storage tank 5 with ellipsoidsection is outward presented with at back side of the frying food tankD, and no air cooling tube is presented with in the oil layer area 1.

Other basic composition of the food fryer C is the same as that of thefood fryer A shown in FIG. 1.

Further to the above, since the oil storage tank 5 is provided in stateof contacting with outside air at the wall of the food fryer C, it iseasy to efficiently cool the oil storage tank 5 after storing the usedoil therein, and hence the cleaning work for the frying food tank D isto be started in short time after the frying food tank D being emptied.

The oil in the oil layer area 1 may be also taken out by opening the oildischarge cock 14 in the state that the oil is not stored in the oilstorage tank 5 as shown in FIG. 4.

The food fryer E of FIG. 5 is made in compact as a whole for householduse, where electric heater 3′ is used as heat source of oil and no aircooling tube in the oil layer area 1 is provided. Other basiccomposition of the food fryer C is the same as that of the food fryer Ashown in FIG. 1.

The electric heater 3′ is repeatedly arranged in a longitudinaldirection of the frying food tank F in continuous state, by contrast, itmay be repeatedly arranged in a lateral direction or other anydirection.

The food fryer G of FIG. 6 comprises the rectangular parallelepiped oilstorage tank 6, which is formed below and in parallel with the foodfrying tank H and is connected thereto through the opening 6 a formed onupper side wall. The upper end 6 c of the opening 6 a extended out fromthe oil storage tank 6 so as to cover the lower end 6 b thereof.

After food frying work, the food frying tank H is to be cleaned in thesame way as in case of the food fryer A of FIG. 1:

-   First, by opening the cock 6 d, one drains the water in the oil    storage tank 6 out and pours the used oil in the oil layer area 1    into the oil storage tank 6 through the opening 6 a;-   Second, by closing the cock 6 d at timing that the water in the oil    storage tank 6 has been drained out and the oil in the oil layer    area 1 has flowed into the oil storage tank 6, thereafter by opening    the water discharge cock 11, one drains water in the water layer    area 2 out; and-   Finally, one cleans empty space in the food frying tank H.

As described above, the upper end 6 c of the opening 6 is extended outof the opening 6 a so as to over the lower end 6 b and is formed at theside wall of the oil storage tank 6, and hence cleaning water and so onfor the cleaning scarcely pours into the oil storage tank 5 during thecleaning work.

When the cleaning for the food frying tank H is finished and the waterdischarge cock 11 is again closed, as above described, merely pouringwater into this tank H allows the oil in the oil storage tank 6 toreturn to the oil layer area 1, which action is based on the differencein specific gravity between oil and water. And the food fryer G isconsequently ready for next food frying work.

Meanwhile, oil in the oil storage tank 6 may be taken to outer space byopening the cock 6 d.

Water inlet opening of each the food fryer A, C, E and G is not shown infigures but may be formed at any place of the oil layer area 1. The aircooling tube 4 may be eliminated in also the food fryer A and G.

Each of the food fryers A, C, E and G has no cock for opening andclosing the opening 5 a, 6 a, the production cost is reduced and thecleaning work may be simply easy to be done.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As above described, the food fryer according to the invention isintended to give safety and efficiency in the cleaning work thereof andto reduce product cost, food fryer which is good for both business useand household use.

1. A food fryer having a frying food tank of a water layer area and anoil layer area therein, comprising: an oil heating means in the oillayer area; an oil storage tank formed below the oil heating means,having a cock at lower position of the storage tank, and a side,transversal opening at a upper side part of the oil storage tank with alower lip and an upper lip that overhangs said lower lip; and whereinwater in the oil storage tank is drained out through the cock and oil inthe oil layer area flows into the oil storage tank through the openingwhen the cock is opened.
 2. A food fryer claimed in claim 1 wherein awater discharge cock is provided at the low end of the water layer area.3. A food fryer of claim 1, wherein: said oil storage tank is in a sideposition and shares a sidewall with said frying food tank, and saidside, transversal opening is in said shared side wall.
 4. A food fryerof claim 1 wherein: said oil storage tank is in a shape of an opentubular column horizontally positioned in said frying food tank, withits one edge as the upper lip of the opening overhanging its other edgeas the lower lip of the opening.